PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a shading mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 1st puzzle from guest contributor Dan Katz.

Rules: Divide the grid into some regions formed of edge-adjacent squares. Each cell is part of one region, and each region should contain exactly two given numbers, one in a yellow circle (>) and one in a red circle (<). Each region must have an area that is strictly between those numbers. Note: This idea to "simplify" Araf puzzles comes from Prasanna Seshadri, whose example of this variation will appear tomorrow. Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows. Separate the rows with a comma.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:20, Master = 3:00, Expert = 6:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Araf is a relatively new puzzle for us on GMPuzzles. Follow this link for other Araf. An example image for a “classic” Araf puzzle is here.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a shading mode.)

Theme: Aisles

Author/Opus: This is the 177th puzzle from Thomas Snyder, aka Dr. Sudoku.

Rules: Divide the grid into some regions formed of edge-adjacent squares. Each cell is part of one region, and each region should contain exactly two given numbers. Each region must have an area that is strictly between those numbers (This means, for two number clues A and B with A < B, the area C fulfills A < C < B).

Answer String: Enter the number of cells in each connected group (between bold lines) in the marked rows. For the example above, this is “34,121111,4111”.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 0:45, Master = 1:15, Expert = 2:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Araf is a relatively new puzzle for us on GMPuzzles. Follow this link for other Araf.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in a composite mode for line/edge drawing.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 22nd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Draw vertical/horizontal lines between dots to divide the grid into regions. A region may contain at most one number, equal to the area of the region. No region may cover a 2×2 area. Some dots are “heavy” and have 3 or 4 lines connected to them. Black circles indicate heavy dots with exactly three lines; white circles indicate heavy dots with four lines. Not all heavy dots are given, but there can be no heavy dots orthogonally adjacent to the indicated ones. In other words, there may be only 2 lines from any unmarked dot adjacent to a white/black circle (these dots are gray in the example).

Answer String: Enter the length of groups of white cells in the same area in the marked rows. For this example, the answer is “11212, 1132”

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 8:30, Master = 14:00, Expert = 28:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: This is a new puzzle style, so it is recommended to carefully review and solve the example first to get used to the thinking and all the rules.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools)

Theme: C Sharp

Author/Opus: This is the 43rd puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Shade some empty cells black to form a set of dominoes (1×2 rectangles) that divides the grid into white regions; the dominoes cannot overlap or share an edge. Each region must contain exactly one type of given letter, and must also contain all instances of that letter (i.e. there cannot be two regions that contain C). See also this example:

Answer String: Enter the length of the unshaded segments in order in the marked rows/columns. Separate the groups with a comma. For this example, the answer is “25,132”

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:30, Master = 5:30, Expert = 11:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools in a composite mode for line/edge drawing)

Theme: Words

Author/Opus: This is the 36th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Divide the white cells into tetrominoes so that no two regions sharing an edge are the same tetromino (L, I, O, S, or T considering rotation and reflection). Regions may contain at most 1 cell with given letters; regions with such a cell CANNOT have the same tetromino shape as any of the letters in that cell. Also, see this example:

Answer String: Enter the letter of the tetromino region for each cell in the two marked rows from left to right, separating the rows with a comma. Use CAPITAL LETTERS for L, I, O, S, and T.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 1:15, Master = 2:30, Expert = 5:00

Solution: PDF

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing, a number entry mode, and shading for this variation.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 21st puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, it must be possible to shade some polyominoes black so that no bordering polyominoes are the same color (in other words, the grid must allow a two-color shading). Also, see this example:

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 2nd row, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 4:30, Master = 8:00, Expert = 16:00

Solution: PDF; a solution video is available here.

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 20th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Prasanna Seshadri.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, all “1” polyominoes should be treated like queens in chess; no two queens (“1s”) can see each other in any row, column, or diagonal as shown in this image.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 4th column, followed by a comma, followed by the 8th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 3:00, Master = 5:00, Expert = 10:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 100th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes!

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, no polyominoes that differ by one in size can share an edge.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 3rd row, followed by a comma, followed by the 5th row.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:45, Master = 4:00, Expert = 8:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 99th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Grant Fikes.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules.

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 4th column, followed by a comma, followed by the 7th column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:30, Master = 3:30, Expert = 7:00

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.

PDF

or solve online (using our beta test of Penpa-Edit tools; use tab to alternate between a composite mode for line/edge drawing and a number entry mode.)

Theme: Clue Symmetry and Logic

Author/Opus: This is the 35th puzzle from our contributing puzzlemaster Serkan Yürekli.

Rules: Standard Fillomino rules. Also, all polyominoes should have rotational symmetry as in this example:

Answer String: For each cell in the marked rows/columns, enter the area of the polyomino it belongs to. Enter just the last digit for any two-digit number. Start with the 1st row, followed by a comma, followed by the 3rd column.

Time Standards (highlight to view): Grandmaster = 2:15, Master = 3:15, Expert = 6:30

Solution: PDF

Note: Follow this link for other classic Fillomino and this link for more variations on Fillomino puzzles. If you are new to this puzzle type, here are our easiest Fillomino puzzles to get started on.